At Yara’s factories in Porsgrunn, grey-white smoke and steam rise from the factory chimneys. The fertilizer producer is one of Norway’s largest emission points for land-based businesses and 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ is emitted annually. The goal is for it to be close to zero in the future. At Yara’s ammonia factory, they are well underway with a pilot project that will cut some of the emissions. – By using renewable energy instead of fossil gas in the process, CO₂ emissions are cut, explains Lise Winther, director of projects and technology at Yara. HOPE: Factory director Ole-Jacob Siljan and Lise Winther, director of projects and technology at Yara, have visions of cutting emissions. Photo: veronica westrin / news Ammonia is produced from hydrogen in a chemical process. The pilot project aims to replace hydrogen from natural gas with electrolysis. – The electrolysis plant will be located here, says Winther and shows news into an old factory hall that is being converted for the purpose. She explains that with the help of electricity they can split hydrogen from oxygen in water, without the polluted gas. But to electrify operations, Yara needs support from the authorities. – Must work together – We need both large amounts of renewable electricity to make the project possible, and funds to help us through the first phase since this is the world’s largest electrolysis project. That’s according to CEO of Yara, Svein Tore Holsether. CEO Svein Tore Holsether at Yara. Photo: Guri Norstrøm / news Industry accounts for a large proportion of the emissions. Next year, Enova will start a point emission programme, and Holsether believes that it is now facing a new phase. – You have to make huge cuts to reach the climate goals in the Paris Agreement, and we can only achieve that if we work together, says Holsether. – It is important that we increase power production in Norway. To achieve what we want, we must have more power, says Winther. Not on track In the autumn, a report came out which showed that Norway is not on track to reach the climate targets and the MDGs now require the government to do more to contribute to a green Norwegian industry. MDG leader Arild Hermstad says Norway has to remove all the large point emissions if we are to manage to solve the climate problem. MDG leader Arild Hermstad Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB – Norway has fantastic opportunities to be the absolute leader in the world in an industry that cuts its emissions to zero, but then of course the government has to pick up steam. This is urgent, says Hermstad. Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide believes they are already underway. – We have strengthened Enova’s budget by 30 per cent in the last budget, precisely for such measures. In total, we have spent NOK 2 billion in the period we have governed, says Eide. The Minister for Climate and Environment says it is crucially important that the industry takes the lead when emissions are to be cut. Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide. Photo: Mathias Moene Rød / news – I travel a lot around Norwegian industry and see all the fantastically exciting measures that are there. Many people are supported by Enova, which I have, and which we have now strengthened. Eide praises the industry for the efforts they make for the climate. – Norwegian mainland industry has already cut 40 per cent of its emissions since 1990, but plans to cut another 50 per cent of what they have left by 2030. We will help them with that, says Eide and continues: – It is about changing energy sources and change the reducing agent in the process. It’s about carbon capture and storage, and we’re providing all of this with the government, says Eide.
ttn-69
Yara will cut 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
